Drinking glass having a movable figure



June 6, 1950 J. D. MAHONEY DRINKING GLASS HAVING A MOVABLE FIGURE FiledJune 6, 1947 Patented June 6, 1950 DRINKING GLASS Fl OFFICE A MOVABLE IJohn D. Mahoney, Newton, Mass. 1 J Application June 6, 1947, Serial No.753.00; I

2 Claims.

This invention comprises an improved tumbler or drinking glass having afalse bottom member secured thereto and providing an enclosed spacehaving a movable figure therein, and cooperating pin and slot elementsfor restricting the movement of the figure beneath the transparentbottom of the tumbler.

While not limited in its field of use, the tumbler of my invention isparticularly useful in feeding children who may become interested inwatching the movement of the figure in the bottom of the tumbler and soinduced to drink up milk or other beverage provided for them.

The movement of the figure is so controlled that it swings about apivotal point movable in a predetermined path that prevents the figurefrom making actual contact with the walls of the space wherein it isconfined. The movement of the figure, therefore, is controlled in amanner that is unexpected and intriguing to the observer. The precisemechanism for controlling the movement of the figure is of secondaryimportance so long as it includes a pin element about which the figuremay swing, and a slot element along which the pin may move. It follows,therefore, that the pin may project from the figure into a slot formedin the bottom of the tumbler or in the false bottom member, or that thepin may project from one of these members and the slot element may beformed in the figure itself.

These and other features of the invention will be best understood andappreciated from the following description of preferred embodimentsthereof, selected for purposes of illustration and shown in theaccompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a view in perspective of a tumbler equipped with a falsebottom member containing the slot element,

Fig. 2 is a view of the same in longitudinal section,

Fig. 3 is a sectional view on the line 33 of Fig. 4,

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view in longitudinal section showing a tumblerin which the slot element is formed in the transparent bottom of thetumbler itself,

Fig. 5 is a sectional view on the line 5--5 of Fig. 4,

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary view of a tumbler in which the slot element isformed in the figure itself, and

Fig. 7 is a sectional view on the line 'l! of Fig. 6.

Referring first to Figs. 1, 2 and 3, an ordinary tumbler or drinkingglass It! is shown as having a transparent bottom ll of usualconstruction. To the bottom of the glass is fitted a false hot-- tommember l2 which has a shouldered circumferential wall ground orotherwise accurately shaped to receive the base of the tumbler l0 andretain its position by frictional engagement. The false bottom member I2forms with the bottom I l of the tumbler a shallow circular enclosedspace and is provided in its bottom with an approximately triangularslot 13. Within the space is located a figure, herein shown as anelephant I4, and from the bottom of this figure projects a pin [5 whichis free to slide within the triangular slot l3 and about which theelephant may swing as the glass is rotated into different positions. Forexample, if the glass is rotated in a counterclockwise position from theposition shown in Fig. 3 until the bottom side of the triangular slotslopes downwardly, the elephant will apparently make a short, sharp dashin that direction and bring up when the pin I5 reaches the lower vertexof the triangular slot.

In Figs. 4 and 5 is illustrated a modified construction in which thetumbler 20, having a transparent bottom 2i, is provided with a falsebottom member 22. In this case the slot 23 is formed in the bottom 2| ofthe tumbler and the elephant figure is provided with a pin 25 projectingupwardly into the slot 23.

In Figs. 6 and 7, a tumbler 30, having a transparent bottom 3|, is shownas provided with a false bottom member 32 and forming therewith anenclosed space for the elephant figure 34 which, in this case. is shownas provided with an oval slot 33. Cooperating with this slot is a pin 35upstanding from the false bottom member 32.

In all three cases it will be observed that the movement of translationof the element is controlled in accordance with the shape of the slotelement and that in all positions it is free to swing about an axisprovided by the pin element.

Having thus disclosed my invention and described in detail certainillustrative embodiments thereof, I claim as new and desire to secure byLetters Patent:

1. In a. tumbler having a transparent bottom as an integral part of itsstructure and a false bottom member secured thereto and providingtherewith an enclosed circular space, a toy figure movable in saidspace, and cooperating pin and slot elements for restricting themovement of the figure beneath the transparent bottom of the tumbler,the slot lying wholly within the peripheral contour of the enclosedspace and thus permitting the figure to swing freely in all positionstherein and at the same time preventing it from contacting with thecircumferential wall of the space.

.2. In a tumbler having a transparent bottom 3 as an integral part 01'its structure and a false UNITED STATES PATENTS bottom member detachablysecured thereto and Number Name Date providing therewith an enclosedspace with cir- 74 815 Funston Feb 25 1868 cular walls, a flat toyelephant figure movable 546171 Mantel I: 1895 in said space, a pinprojecting from the elephant 5 616508 vedder 1898 figure, and atriangular slot in the false bottom 617209 Watt i 1899memberinewhmhethewpin is-rfieely-gslmable, "701-2832 Benne tt et al:::::: 5une 10 1902 triangularslot lying 'ewholly "thei Gilfium-Fantoni t 19 fel'ent ial Wall of the enclosed Space and being PriestnauDec spaced from the wall sufliciently to permit thegjo v 524615Diederichs 1925 figiisize to swing freeli! in all positionsthereof mtl lt 5 ,Paul H May 2 1939 cu ouching the wa l.

JOHN D. M AH ONEY. 2,418,922 Berndt et a1 Apr. 15, 1947 FOREIGN PATENTSREFERENCES CITED lallkNumber .Country Date The following references areof recordflnthe SL885 Germany May 22, 1897 file of this patent:

